Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for Comment; Title: FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles With Automated Driving Systems: Seating Preference Study, 12772-12774 [2022-04755]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 / Notices
By Order of the Acting Maritime
Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022–04742 Filed 3–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2022–0018]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Title: FMVSS
Considerations for Vehicles With
Automated Driving Systems: Seating
Preference Study
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments on a request for approval of
a new information collection.
AGENCY:
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) invites
public comments about our intention to
request approval from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for a
new information collection. Before a
Federal agency can collect certain
information from the public, it must
receive approval from OMB. Under
procedures established by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
before seeking OMB approval, Federal
agencies must solicit public comment
on proposed collections of information,
including extensions and reinstatement
of previously approved collections. This
document describes a collection of
information for which NHTSA intends
to seek OMB approval to conduct an
experiment to gather both objective and
subjective data regarding occupant/
passenger seat preference in Automated
Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles
(ADS–DVs).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before May 6, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by the Docket No. NHTSA–
2022–0018 through any of the following
methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Go to the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: (202) 493–2251.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket
Management, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
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SUMMARY:
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Friday, except on Federal holidays. To
be sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 366–9322 before
coming.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the agency name and docket
number for this notice. Note that all
comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Please
see the Privacy Act heading below.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search
the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT’s complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR
19477–78) or you may visit https://
www.transportation.gov/privacy.
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
www.regulations.gov or the street
address listed above. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets
via internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information or access to
background documents, contact Arryn
Robbins, Office of Behavioral Safety
Research (NPD–320), (202) 366–8996,
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, W46–466, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency
submits a proposed collection of
information to OMB for approval, it
must first publish a document in the
Federal Register providing a 60-day
comment period and otherwise consult
with members of the public and affected
agencies concerning each proposed
collection of information. The OMB has
promulgated regulations describing
what must be included in such a
document. Under OMB’s regulation (at
5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask
for public comment on the following: (a)
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden of the proposed collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(c) how to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
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collected; and (d) how to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses. In compliance with these
requirements, NHTSA asks for public
comments on the following proposed
collection of information for which the
agency is seeking approval from OMB.
Title: FMVSS Considerations for
Vehicles with Automated Driving
Systems: Seating Preference Study.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): NHTSA Forms 1624,
1625, and 1626.
TABLE 1—FORMS TO BE USED IN THE
STUDY
NHTSA
Form
1624.
NHTSA
Form
1625.
NHTSA
Form
1626.
Eligibility Questionnaire—FMVSS
Considerations for Vehicles with
Automated Driving Systems:
Seating Preference Study.
Demographic
Questionnaire—
FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles with Automated Driving
Systems: Seating Preference
Study.
Post Experiment Questionnaire—
FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles with Automated Driving
Systems: Seating Preference
Study.
Type of Request: New collection.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of
Approval: 3 years from date of approval.
Summary of the Collection of
Information: 49 U.S.C. 30181, 30182,
and 30183 authorize the Secretary of
Transportation (NHTSA by delegation)
to conduct research, development, and
testing programs, including activities
related to new and emerging
technologies that impact, or that may
impact, motor vehicle safety. NHTSA
proposes to collect information from the
public regarding occupant/passenger
seat preference in Automated Driving
System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS–DVs).
Adults aged 18 and older will
participate in an on-road study after
giving informed consent. Participants
will ride in one passenger vehicle and
two ADS–DVs on a closed test track.
Questionnaire data will be collected at
the beginning and end of participation
for each participant. Objective data will
be collected via the data acquisition
systems installed in each study vehicle.
The data from each participant will be
combined, stratified by demographic
information and analyzed.
There are four information collections
for the study. The (1) Eligibility
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 / Notices
Questionnaire will be used to identify
eligible participants for this study;
results from this questionnaire will not
be kept or analyzed. Candidates who are
selected for the study will participate in
a single test-track experiment and will
complete two additional questionnaires
while participating in the experiment.
The (2) Demographic Questionnaire will
be used for description of the
participant sample (e.g., number of
males and females in the dataset, final
age range for all participants, and
driving experience range for all
participants). This is necessary to
compare the sample collected to the
general driving population. The (3)
objective data collected via data
acquisition systems installed in each
study vehicle during the test-track
experiment is necessary for collecting
information about participants’ seat
selection, any seat changes during the
ride, seat belt use, and how participants
interact with the HMI. The (4) Post
Experiment Questionnaire will be used
to analyze the perceptions and opinions
of ADS–DV technology within the
participant sample, as well as to gather
any comments regarding their seat
preference and seat belt use. This data
will be used to determine how and why
participants choose seating preferences
in ADS–DVs.
Description of the Need for the
Information and Proposed Use of the
Information
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s (NHTSA’s) mission is
to save lives, prevent injuries, and
reduce economic losses resulting from
motor vehicle crashes. ADS technology
is rapidly developing, and current
Federal motor vehicle safety standards
(FMVSS) and/or NHTSA guidance may
need to be adapted to ensure this
technology is deployed safely. Many of
NHTSA’s FMVSS focus on particular
seating positions and thus, changes in
seating preferences could impact those
FMVSS. This study will provide
NHTSA information about the seating
preferences of occupants in vehicles
that do not require a human driver in
the left front seat. Several safety
outcomes stem from occupant seating
preference, which may change in the
future as Automated Driving Systems
(ADS) change seating configurations and
the way people use vehicles. ADSDedicated Vehicles (ADS–DVs) are
vehicles that lack manually operated
driving controls, and therefore do not
require a human driver or occupant to
drive the vehicle or sit in the left front
seat (the ‘‘driver’s seat’’ in conventional
vehicles). In conventional vehicles,
there is the basic assumption that a
human will always be in the left front
seat while the vehicle is operating
because a human driver would be
necessary to operate those vehicles.
ADS–DVs provide the opportunity for
occupants to sit in any seat they choose
in the vehicle. It is currently unknown
where occupants may choose to sit
when riding in an ADS–DV. Moreover,
new seating configurations for
occupants of ADS–DVs may necessitate
changes to how and where information
is presented to occupants about their
responsibilities as occupants (e.g.,
closing doors, fastening seatbelts).
Furthermore, occupants will need a
human-machine interface (HMI) to
provide input that they are ready for the
ride to begin, or to request that the ride
stop. At present, no standardized or
otherwise commercially produced HMIs
exist for this purpose. Therefore, in
order to conduct the research, a
prototype HMI will be developed. The
two main goals for this study are to:
1. Describe the occupant distribution
for ADS–DVs (i.e., seating distribution).
2. Use the prototype HMI to evaluate
whether occupants would choose to
initiate a ride in an ADS–DV without a
seatbelt.
Affected Public: Adults ages 18 and
older who meet eligibility criteria such
as holding a valid driver’s license and
having used a ride-sharing application
at least once in the past year.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
An expected total of up to 100
participants will be recruited to
participate in the study. It is estimated
that 200 respondents will be needed in
order to identify 100 eligible
participants.
Frequency: One-time collection.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 268.
The eligibility questionnaire will have
a maximum of 28 questions and NHTSA
estimates it will take approximately 20
minutes to complete. Therefore, NHTSA
estimates the total time associated with
completing eligibility questionnaires to
be 67 hours (200 responses × 20 minutes
= 66.7 hours). Study Intake, (reading
study information sheet and obtaining
participant consent, general study
instruction) is expected to take 10
minutes to complete. Both the
demographic and post-experiment
questionnaires will have a maximum of
20 questions and NHTSA estimates that
it will take each eligible participant 10
minutes to complete the demographic
questionnaire and 10 minutes to
complete the post-experiment
questionnaire. Therefore, NHTSA
estimates the total burden for Study
Intake to be 17 hours (100 responses ×
10 minutes = 16.67 hours), Demographic
Questionnaire to be 17 hours (100
responses × 10 minutes = 16.67 hours),
and The Post Experiment questionnaire
to be 17 hours (100 responses × 10
minutes = 16.67 hours). Accordingly,
NHTSA estimates the total burden hours
for this information collection to be 268
hours.
The table below shows the estimated
burden hours for this information
collection, which accounts for the
maximum number of expected
responses and drop-outs.
ESTIMATED BURDEN HOURS
Maximum
number of
respondents
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Instrument
Estimated
individual
burden
(minutes)
Total
estimated
burden
hours
Eligibility Questionnaire ...........................................................................................................................
Study Intake .............................................................................................................................................
Demographic questionnaire .....................................................................................................................
Study Participation ...................................................................................................................................
Post Experiment Questionnaire ...............................................................................................................
200
100
100
100
100
20
10
10
90
10
67
17
17
150
17
Total ..................................................................................................................................................
200
60
268
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost:
The only cost burdens respondents will
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incur are costs related to travel to and
from the study location. The costs are
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minimal and are expected to be offset by
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 44 / Monday, March 7, 2022 / Notices
the honorarium that will be provided to
all research participants.
Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspects of this
information collection, including (a)
whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Department’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
information collection; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility and clarity
of the information to be collected; and
(d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as
amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order
1351.29.
Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety
Research.
[FR Doc. 2022–04755 Filed 3–4–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket Number DOT–OST–2017–0043]
Agency Information Collection
Activity: Notice To Continue To Collect
Information: Barrier Failure Reporting
in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf
Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research Technology
(OST–R), U.S. Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: 30-Day notice.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Transportation (US DOT) BTS
published a 60-day comment period
Notice 86 FR 58391 on October 21, 2021
seeking public input to continue the
collection of barrier failure data. Barrier
Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas
Operations on the Outer Continental
Shelf is a component of BTS’s SafeOCS
data sharing framework, that provides a
trusted, proactive means for the oil and
gas industry to report sensitive and
proprietary safety information, and to
identify early warnings of safety
problems and potential issues by
uncovering hidden, at-risk conditions
not previously exposed through analysis
of reportable equipment failures and
incidents. BTS received no comments
during the 60-day public comment
period.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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17:50 Mar 04, 2022
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Comments must be received by
April 6, 2022.
ADDRESSES: BTS seeks public comments
on its proposed information collection.
Comments should address whether the
information will have practical utility;
the accuracy of the estimated burden
hours of the proposed information
collection’ ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to
be collected; and ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Send comments to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503,
Attention: BTS Desk Officer.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Research and
Technology, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Office of Safety Data
and Analysis (OSDA), RTS–34, E36–
302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590–0001; Phone No.
(202) 366–1610; Fax No. (202) 366–
3383; email: demetra.collia@dot.gov.
Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m., EST, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
Data Confidentiality Provisions: This
data collection is protected under the
BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C.
6307 (b)) and the Confidential
Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018 (Pub.
L.: 115–435 Foundations for EvidenceBased Policymaking Act of 2018, Title
III.) In accordance with these
confidentiality statutes, only statistical
and non-identifying data will be made
publicly available through reports.
Further, BTS will not release to Bureau
of Safety and Environment Enforcement
(BSEE) or any other public or private
entity any information that might reveal
the identity of individuals or
organizations mentioned in SafeOCS
reports.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
I. The Data Collection
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35; as amended) and
5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal
agency to obtain OMB approval to
continue an information collection
activity. BTS is seeking OMB approval
for the following BTS information
collection activity:
Title: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil
and Gas Operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf.
OMB Control Number: 2138–0046.
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Type of Review: Approval to Continue
to Collect.
Respondents: BTS has entered a MOU
with BSEE to facilitate the collection of
information from respondents identified
in the BSEE notices for OMB Control
Number 1014–0028 and OMB Control
Number 1014–0003. Responsibility for
establishing the actual scope and
burden for this collection resides with
BSEE. This BTS information collection
request does not create any additional
burden for respondents. For the
purposes of this collection BTS has
identified BSEE as the sole respondent.
Number of Respondents: As a request
to be authorized repository for
previously collected information, BTS
has identified BSEE as the sole
respondent reporting to BTS at the
annual frequency of one.
Estimated Time per Response: 60
minutes.
Frequency: Once.
Total Annual Burden: 1 hour.
BTS has agreed through a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with BSEE to undertake the information
collection identified in the previously
approved BSEE notice for OMB Control
Number(s) 1014–0028, expiration 4/30/
2019 and the BSEE notice with OMB
Control Number 1014–0003, expiration
8/31/2019, to ensure the confidentiality
of submissions under CIPSEA. The
information collection is limited to the
establishment of BTS as an authorized
repository. This information collection
request does not create any additional
burden for respondents.
II. Public Participation and Request for
Public Comments
On October 18, 2021, the DOT
published a notice in the Federal
Register (86 FR 57744) encouraging
interested parties to submit comments
and allowing for a 60-day comment
period on the collection entitled
‘‘Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and
Gas Operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf.’’ The comment
period closed on December 17, 2021. No
comments were submitted to the docket
during that time.
The notice can be viewed at, https://
www.regulations.gov, and typing in the
Docket Number 2021–22279. If you do
not have access to the internet, you may
view the docket by visiting the Docket
Management Facility in Room W12–140
on the ground floor of the U.S. DOT
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12772-12774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-04755]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2022-0018]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Notice and Request for
Comment; Title: FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles With Automated
Driving Systems: Seating Preference Study
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice and request for comments on a request for approval of a
new information collection.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
invites public comments about our intention to request approval from
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information
collection. Before a Federal agency can collect certain information
from the public, it must receive approval from OMB. Under procedures
established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB
approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed
collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of
previously approved collections. This document describes a collection
of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval to conduct
an experiment to gather both objective and subjective data regarding
occupant/passenger seat preference in Automated Driving System-
Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs).
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 6, 2022.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the Docket No. NHTSA-
2022-0018 through any of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Go to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions
for submitting comments.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket Management, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except on Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help
you, please call (202) 366-9322 before coming.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and
docket number for this notice. Note that all comments received will be
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading
below.
Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov or the street
address listed above. Follow the online instructions for accessing the
dockets via internet.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or access
to background documents, contact Arryn Robbins, Office of Behavioral
Safety Research (NPD-320), (202) 366-8996, National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, W46-466, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency submits a proposed
collection of information to OMB for approval, it must first publish a
document in the Federal Register providing a 60-day comment period and
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies
concerning each proposed collection of information. The OMB has
promulgated regulations describing what must be included in such a
document. Under OMB's regulation (at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must
ask for public comment on the following: (a) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) how to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) how to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses. In compliance with these requirements, NHTSA
asks for public comments on the following proposed collection of
information for which the agency is seeking approval from OMB.
Title: FMVSS Considerations for Vehicles with Automated Driving
Systems: Seating Preference Study.
OMB Control Number: New.
Form Number(s): NHTSA Forms 1624, 1625, and 1626.
Table 1--Forms To Be Used in the Study
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHTSA Form 1624........................ Eligibility Questionnaire--
FMVSS Considerations for
Vehicles with Automated
Driving Systems: Seating
Preference Study.
NHTSA Form 1625........................ Demographic Questionnaire--
FMVSS Considerations for
Vehicles with Automated
Driving Systems: Seating
Preference Study.
NHTSA Form 1626........................ Post Experiment Questionnaire--
FMVSS Considerations for
Vehicles with Automated
Driving Systems: Seating
Preference Study.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of Request: New collection.
Type of Review Requested: Regular.
Requested Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of
approval.
Summary of the Collection of Information: 49 U.S.C. 30181, 30182,
and 30183 authorize the Secretary of Transportation (NHTSA by
delegation) to conduct research, development, and testing programs,
including activities related to new and emerging technologies that
impact, or that may impact, motor vehicle safety. NHTSA proposes to
collect information from the public regarding occupant/passenger seat
preference in Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs).
Adults aged 18 and older will participate in an on-road study after
giving informed consent. Participants will ride in one passenger
vehicle and two ADS-DVs on a closed test track. Questionnaire data will
be collected at the beginning and end of participation for each
participant. Objective data will be collected via the data acquisition
systems installed in each study vehicle. The data from each participant
will be combined, stratified by demographic information and analyzed.
There are four information collections for the study. The (1)
Eligibility
[[Page 12773]]
Questionnaire will be used to identify eligible participants for this
study; results from this questionnaire will not be kept or analyzed.
Candidates who are selected for the study will participate in a single
test-track experiment and will complete two additional questionnaires
while participating in the experiment. The (2) Demographic
Questionnaire will be used for description of the participant sample
(e.g., number of males and females in the dataset, final age range for
all participants, and driving experience range for all participants).
This is necessary to compare the sample collected to the general
driving population. The (3) objective data collected via data
acquisition systems installed in each study vehicle during the test-
track experiment is necessary for collecting information about
participants' seat selection, any seat changes during the ride, seat
belt use, and how participants interact with the HMI. The (4) Post
Experiment Questionnaire will be used to analyze the perceptions and
opinions of ADS-DV technology within the participant sample, as well as
to gather any comments regarding their seat preference and seat belt
use. This data will be used to determine how and why participants
choose seating preferences in ADS-DVs.
Description of the Need for the Information and Proposed Use of the
Information
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's)
mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic losses
resulting from motor vehicle crashes. ADS technology is rapidly
developing, and current Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS)
and/or NHTSA guidance may need to be adapted to ensure this technology
is deployed safely. Many of NHTSA's FMVSS focus on particular seating
positions and thus, changes in seating preferences could impact those
FMVSS. This study will provide NHTSA information about the seating
preferences of occupants in vehicles that do not require a human driver
in the left front seat. Several safety outcomes stem from occupant
seating preference, which may change in the future as Automated Driving
Systems (ADS) change seating configurations and the way people use
vehicles. ADS-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs) are vehicles that lack
manually operated driving controls, and therefore do not require a
human driver or occupant to drive the vehicle or sit in the left front
seat (the ``driver's seat'' in conventional vehicles). In conventional
vehicles, there is the basic assumption that a human will always be in
the left front seat while the vehicle is operating because a human
driver would be necessary to operate those vehicles. ADS-DVs provide
the opportunity for occupants to sit in any seat they choose in the
vehicle. It is currently unknown where occupants may choose to sit when
riding in an ADS-DV. Moreover, new seating configurations for occupants
of ADS-DVs may necessitate changes to how and where information is
presented to occupants about their responsibilities as occupants (e.g.,
closing doors, fastening seatbelts). Furthermore, occupants will need a
human-machine interface (HMI) to provide input that they are ready for
the ride to begin, or to request that the ride stop. At present, no
standardized or otherwise commercially produced HMIs exist for this
purpose. Therefore, in order to conduct the research, a prototype HMI
will be developed. The two main goals for this study are to:
1. Describe the occupant distribution for ADS-DVs (i.e., seating
distribution).
2. Use the prototype HMI to evaluate whether occupants would choose
to initiate a ride in an ADS-DV without a seatbelt.
Affected Public: Adults ages 18 and older who meet eligibility
criteria such as holding a valid driver's license and having used a
ride-sharing application at least once in the past year.
Estimated Number of Respondents: An expected total of up to 100
participants will be recruited to participate in the study. It is
estimated that 200 respondents will be needed in order to identify 100
eligible participants.
Frequency: One-time collection.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 268.
The eligibility questionnaire will have a maximum of 28 questions
and NHTSA estimates it will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total time associated with completing
eligibility questionnaires to be 67 hours (200 responses x 20 minutes =
66.7 hours). Study Intake, (reading study information sheet and
obtaining participant consent, general study instruction) is expected
to take 10 minutes to complete. Both the demographic and post-
experiment questionnaires will have a maximum of 20 questions and NHTSA
estimates that it will take each eligible participant 10 minutes to
complete the demographic questionnaire and 10 minutes to complete the
post-experiment questionnaire. Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total
burden for Study Intake to be 17 hours (100 responses x 10 minutes =
16.67 hours), Demographic Questionnaire to be 17 hours (100 responses x
10 minutes = 16.67 hours), and The Post Experiment questionnaire to be
17 hours (100 responses x 10 minutes = 16.67 hours). Accordingly, NHTSA
estimates the total burden hours for this information collection to be
268 hours.
The table below shows the estimated burden hours for this
information collection, which accounts for the maximum number of
expected responses and drop-outs.
Estimated Burden Hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total
Maximum individual estimated
Instrument number of burden burden
respondents (minutes) hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligibility Questionnaire........ 200 20 67
Study Intake..................... 100 10 17
Demographic questionnaire........ 100 10 17
Study Participation.............. 100 90 150
Post Experiment Questionnaire.... 100 10 17
--------------------------------------
Total........................ 200 60 268
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: The only cost burdens
respondents will incur are costs related to travel to and from the
study location. The costs are minimal and are expected to be offset by
[[Page 12774]]
the honorarium that will be provided to all research participants.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspects of
this information collection, including (a) whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Department's estimate
of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information on respondents, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter
35, as amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 1351.29.
Cem Hatipoglu,
Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 2022-04755 Filed 3-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
